Ashtray



2, 1969 J, v. VEVIRIT ET AL 3,481,506

ASH'I'RAY Filed March 11, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS JAMES V. VEVIRFRANCIS J. IHLE LD VALENTIN E. BEIL BY CALSM ATTQRNEYS Dec. 2, 1969 J.v. VEVIRIT ET Al. 3,481,506

ASHTRAY Filed March 11, 1968 2 sheets-sheet 2 58 511 II I, l/ij Y 1/ f28 Ill 72 s2 INVENTORS JAMES v. VEVIRI T FRANCIS 'J. IHLENFIELD VALENTINE. BEIL BY V 82% ATTORNEYS United States Patent O US. Cl. 220-20.5Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An actuating arm for the closureplates of a smokers accessory is mounted for rocking movement on thecover and is provided with a laterally projecting lower end whichunderlies and protects the pivot connection of the closure plates. Anintermediate portion of the arm carries a C-shaped link connected to theclosure plates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Smokers accessories in the form of ashtraysprovided with removable cover members having a discharge openingnormally closed by plate means and having associated actuating mechanismfor selectively swinging the plate means aside effectively to open andclose the discharge opening require by their very nature the provisionof pivotal mounting means, actuating links and the like which aresubject to becoming loaded with debris and sluggish in action due to thefact that they are located within the confines of the receptacle.Furthermore, such mechanisms frequently take complex form and involve asubstantial number of separate moving parts. Obviously, complexity ofthe mechanism involves not only the inordinate cost of manufacturethereof but also necessitates costly assembly procedures and, as well,increases the number of areas which are propense to loading with debris.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to overcomethe above mentioned difficulties by the provision of mounting mechanismand actuating means in association with a smokers accessory generally asdescribed wherein the number of component parts is maintained at apractical minimum, thus to lower production and assembly costs.

The invention is further directed to an arrangement wherein the mountingand actuating components are well protected against the entry of foreignmaterial which would otherwise tend to deteriorate their effectivenessof operation.

Essentially, the present invention concerns the combination, with acover member for a smokers accessory, of an actuating arm mounted forrocking movement on the cover member and having an upper end portion formanual actuation thereof, an intermediate portion from which connectionto the closure plate assembly is made and an offset lower end portionwhich simultaneously forms a protective member for the connecting partsand underlies and protects the pivotal connection of the closure plateassembly. Ancillary to this objective, the actuating arm is so mountedthat, when operated, its offset lower end portion is moved in suchfashion as tends to sweep away any debris which might have beenaccumulated in the region of the pivotal connection for the closureplate assembly.

A further object of the invention resides in a combination generally asaforesaid wherein the offset lower end portion of the actuating armeffectively operates to retain the actuating arm in operative positionand association with respect to the cover member.

3,481,506 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1is a perspective view showing the upper portion of an ash receptaclehaving a cover member according to the present invention operativelyassociated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical sectionillustrating the cover assembly removed from the ash receptacle;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2and showing the closure plate assembly in closed position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the closure plateassembly in open position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the closure platemounting assembly and illustrating the interconnection between theoperating means and the closure plate assembly and showing the positionof parts when the closure plate is actuated to open position;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane ofsection line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the guide and mounting meansfor the closure plate assembly, the closure plate assembly, theactuating means and associated portion of the cover as well as theoperative connecting means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference to FIG. 1 willillustrate the environmental use of the present invention wherein itwill be seen that a conventional ash receptacle 10 is provided with acover assembly indicated generally by the reference character 12, whichcover assembly is adapted for ready removal from the receptacle 10 so asto empty the contents for cleaning purposes as will be well understood.The receptacle 10 itself is of entirely conventional nature and may takeany desired form whatever.

Externally, the cover assembly 12 is of more or less conventionalappearance, having a depending marginal skirt 14 which is adaptedclosely to embrace the open mouth of the receptacle 10 and position thecover assembly operatively in association therewith. The cover assemblyincludes a frusto-conical section defining a downwardly and inwardlysloping wall 16 presenting the discharge opening 18 leading into theinterior of the receptacle 10 and a marginal lip or edge portion 20,which itself may be slightly sloped as shown, joins the upper edge ofthe wall 16 to the aforementioned skirt 14. A crossbar 22 serving as asupport for cigarettes or the like may be provided in the form shown, itmay take other and different forms or may be entirely omitted, ifdesired. In any event, the rest 22 forms no part of the presentinvention.

The discharge opening 18 normally is closed by a closure plate assemblyindicated generally by the reference character 24 and associated withthis closure plate assembly is an actuating means indicated generally bythe reference character 26 which, incidental to its manual actuation,operates to swing the closure plate assembly 24 to open positionallowing direct access to the interior of the receptacle 10. Themechanism described hereinabove at least insofar as generalities areconcerned constitutes an old and well known assembly for smokersaccessories of the type described.

One of the salient features of the present invention may be determinedin its broadest sense by reference to FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the actuatingassembly 26 will be seen to include an offset lower end portion 28 whichunderlies the pivotal mounting for the closure plate assembly 24 andthus protects the same in a fashion hereinafter more particularlydescribed against the impingement thereagainst of debris which mayaccumulate within the receptacle 10 with which the cover assembly 12 isassociated. Not only does the arrangement according to this inventionprovide the protective relation just mentioned, but also the rockingmovement of the actuating means 26 as it is manually depressed to openthe closure plate assembly effects a sweeping motion of this offsetportion 28 tending to clear away any debris and positively displace itin a direction away from the pivotal mounting for the closure plateassembly. This action may be appreciated more readily by reference toFIG. wherein the reference character 30 indicates the pin whichpivotally mounts the closure plate assembly and wherein the full lineposition of the offset portion 28 illustrates the position thereof whenthe closure plate assembly is open whereas the dashed lines illustratethe offset portion 28 in its normal position when the closure plateassembly is closed. From a study of these two positions of the offsetportion 28, it will be obvious that debris will be swept away from theregion of the pivot 30 incidental to actuation of the closure plateassembly.

The offset portion 28 serves a further purpose and function, that ofcooperating with the cover member effectively to retain the actuatingmeans 26 in proper position with respect to the cover member withoutrequiring complex or involved mechanism for mounting the actuating means26. In order better to appreciate this aspect of the invention,reference is had to FIG. 7 wherein it is seen that the actuating means26 includes a laterally projecting, generally horizontal upper endportion 32 which may be provided, as shown in FIG. 2, with a suitablefinger tab member 34 secured thereto through the opening 36 provided inthe portion 32. The actuating means 26 includes a generally verticalintermediate portion 38 which is of substantially uniform width up tothe region where it joins the upper portion 32 whereat the stop shoulderportions 40 are provided at either side. The edge 20 of the cover 12 isprovided with a slot 42 coextensive in length with the width of theintermediate portion 38 so that the stop shoulders 40 bear against theupper surface of the portion 20 at either end of the slot 42, thus toestablish a simple and yet highly effective rocking connection betweenthe actuating means 26 and the cover proper. The slot 42 is providedwith an offset portion 44 to clear the tongue 46 of the actuating means26 hereinafter more particularly described. The actuating means, then,in effect merely rests upon the edge 20 of the cover but the offsetlower end 28 thereof in any operative position thereof as can be seenfrom FIGS. 2 and 5 underlies some portion of the mechanism thus to limitthe extent to which the actuating means may be withdrawn so that oncethe parts are assembled, the offset portion 28 also serves to retain theactuating means against unauthorized withdrawal or removal thereof.

The tongue 46 is preferably struck outwardly from the main body of theintermediate portion 38 adjacent its juncture with the offset portion28. The tongue serves to connect the actuating means to the link 48through which actuation of the closure plate assembly is effected. Theclosure plate assembly, as shown in FIG. 7, comprises a pair of plates50 and 52 adapted to meet along their inner edges 54 and 56diametrically of the discharge opening 18 and normally close the sameagainst ingress of ashes and debris into the receptacle 10. The twoplates 50 and 52 are provided with apertured ears 58 and 60, the latterof which is stepped as shown to allow the ears to be stacked whilepositioning the main body portions of the plates 50 and 52 in a commonplane. The apertures 62 and 64 of the plates register and receive thepreviously mentioned pivot pin 30 therethrough while the ear 60 restsupon the surface of the mounting ring assembly 66 surrounding itscorresponding aperture 68 through which the pivot pin 30 also projects.The pivot pin 30 may simply be a rivet or it may take any desired form.

The mounting plates 50 and 52 includes secondary ear portions 70 and 72having apertures 74 and 76 therein with which the hook end portions 78and 80 of the link 48 are engaged. The link 48 may simply take the formof a generally C-shaped length of wire having the bent hook end portions78 and 80 and which may be provided centrally with a straight stirrupportion 82 adapted to engage behind the tongue 46 for loose pivotalengagement therewith substantially as is shown in FIG. 5.

The mounting ring assembly 66 includes the mounting ring portion 84 anda plurality of upstanding finger portions 86, 88 and 90 which areinclined outwardly at their upper ends to present the feet 92, 94 and 96wherein apertures 98 are provided to receive suitable fasteners 100 (seeparticularly FIG. 3) whereby the feet 92, 94 and 96 are firmly securedin bearing engagement against the under surface of the inclined wallportion 16 of the cover.

An additional feature of the invention resides in the fact that pivotaperture 68 of the mounting link assembly 66 is formed adjacent thefinger 90 so that the finger 90 serves also as an attaching point forthe return springs 102 and 104 shown in FIG. 7. For this purpose, thefinger 90 is provided with the staggered openings 106 and 108 and theintermediate portion 38 of the actuating arm is provided with oppositelystaggered openings 110 and 112. When assembled, the opposite ends of thereturn spring 102 are projected through the apertures 106 and 110 andare bent over whereas the return spring 104 is associated with theapertures 108 and 112. This criss-cross arrangement of the springsserves to allow the return springs to be received in a very compactspace.

More importantly, however, the criss-cross arrangement of the springsallows the very simple rocking engagement of the actuating arm with thecover rim to be made effectively. With regard to this, it will be notedthat whereas the return spring 104 which is associated with theapertures 108 and 112 will, under tension, effect a component of forcetending to lift the actuating arm 26, the other return spring 102associated with the apertures 106 and 110 will exert a component offorce tending to urge the actuating arm 26 downwardly. Apertures 106 and110 are spaced further apart than apertures 108 and 112, whereby spring102 is under greater tension than spring 104. As a result, there is anet downward force component acting on the actuating arm 26, as well ascumulative net components which urge the plates 50 and 52 closed. Thus,the net downward force will lightly engage the shoulders 40 against therim 20 at the opposite ends of the slot 42. The weight of the actuatingarm itself of course aids in this engagement. In any event, a verysimple arrangement ensues which entirely dispenses with the necessityfor any pivotal connection for mounting the actuating arm to allow itsrocking motion.

While springs 102 and 104 are shown unequal in length in FIG. 7, that isnot necessarily the case and the reverse could be true. In any event,the springs produce a net downward force component as described.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present inventionare possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A cover assembly for a smokers accessory comprising, in combination,a cover member having a discharge opening, a closure plate assembly fornormally closing said discharge opening, and actuating means forcontrolling said closure plate assembly, said closure plate assemblyincluding a pivot pin disposed beneath said cover member adjacent saiddischarge opening, and said actuating means including a generallyvertical portion projecting through said cover member and a lower endportion projecting laterally from the lower end of said verticalportion, and link means connected to said vertical portion of saidactuating means and said closure plate assembly, said lower end portionunderlying said pivot pin and said link means and protecting the pivotpin and the immediately. surrounding area from the ingress of foreignmaterial thereto.

2. A cover assembly for a smokers accessory comprising, in combination,a cover member having a discharge opening, a closure plate assembly fornormally closing said discharge opening, and actuating means forcontrolling said closure plate assembly, said closure plate assemblyincluding a pivot pin disposed below the level of said dischargeopening, and said actuating means including a lower end portionunderlying said pivot pin and protecting the pivot pin and theimmediately surrounding area from the ingress of foreign materialthereto, wherein said actuatng means comprises an arm having a generallyvertical portion projecting through said cover member and restingthereon for rocking movement with respect to the cover member, saidlower end portion projecting laterally from the lower end of saidgenerally vertical portion whereby rocking motion imparted to said armcauses said lower end portion to sweep away from the region of saidpivot pin.

3. The cover assembly as defined in claim 2 including a link memberconnected to said generally vertical portion, said closure plateassembly including a pair of closure plates pivotally carried by saidpivot pin, said link member being of C-shaped configuration having itsopposite ends connected to said closure plates.

4. A cover assembly for a smokers accessory comprising, in combination:

a cover member having a rim and a downwardly and inwardly sloping wallportion presenting a discharge opening,

a mounting ring assembly secured to and depending from said wall portionand including a mounting ring spaced below and in registry with saiddischarge opening,

a closure plate assembly pivotally mounted on said mounting ring foropening and closing said discharge opening,

an actuating arm mounted for rocking movement on said rim and dependingtherefrom to one side of said wall portion, said actuating arm having alower end portion extending laterally beneath said mounting ring and thepivotal connection thereof to said closure plate assembly,

and link means connected to said actuating arm above said lower endportion and extending therefrom into connection with said closure plateassembly.

5. The cover assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said mounting ringis provided with a plurality of upstanding fingers connected to theunder surface of said sloping wall portion, one of said fingers beingdisposed in spaced opposed relation to said actuating arm and thepivotal connection between said mounting ring and said closure plateassembly being adjacent said one finger,

and return spring means connecting said one finger to said actuatingarm.

6. The cover assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said rim is providedwith a slot receiving said actuating arm and said actuating arm isprovided with shoulders engaging said rim at the opposite ends of saidslot to efiect the rocking interconnection therebetween.

7. The cover assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said rim is providedwith a slot receiving said actuating arm and said actuating arm isprovided with shoulders engaging said rim at the opposite ends of saidslot to effect the rocking interconnection therebetween.

8. The cover assembly as defined in claim 7 including return springmeans acting on said arm normally to urge said closure plate assemblyinto closing position, said return spring means also urging saidactuating arm downwardly to lightly engage said shoulders against saidarm.

9. The cover assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said mounting ringis provided with an upstanding finger connected to said cover member anddisposed in spaced relation to said actuating arm, said return springmeans comprising a pair of coil springs each connected to said actuatingarm and to said finger, s-aid springs being arranged in a generallycriss-cross arrangement.

10. The cover assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said return springmeans comprises a coil spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,999,140 4/1935 McDonald 131-242X 2,004,537 6/1935 Parkinson 220-205 X 2,102,565 12/1937 Booth 220-2052,531,503 11/1950 Dick 220-36 X GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner US.Cl. X.R.

